Where do you see the world in the future? Have you fantasised about robots, or AI, ruling the world? Many deem it viable, looking at the speed technology is advancing, however, it has been only achievable in sci-fi books and films. Is it deemable in reality? What I believe is that an AI takeover might be possible, but it would solely depend on the human actions that lead up to it. We want the technology to progress to help us, not to rule us.

Everyone first considers an AI takeover to be a significant future possibility. Not just because of the movies, but also due to the increased awareness of Moore's Law. Simply put, according to the law, a microchip's transistor count doubles every two years. This has been confirmed over time, and there may come a moment when computers begin to comprehend their environment and begin to take control. This is widely acknowledged, therefore if technology keeps developing in the same way, it might even come to pass!

But can a computer ever grow intelligent enough to even consider taking over the planet from its so-called "masters"? Will they ever consider something more humanitarian, such that they are tired of being slaves and want to rule the world? If this is the case, slavery may simply be repeated throughout history, only this time it will be between humans and machines. Many have ruled out the likelihood of this happening due to a straightforward idea: AI, or computers, require a fundamental input in order to function. The messages are entered into the designers' systems, which benefits us. They are unable to carry out any tasks that aren't in their programming. For instance, Alexa won't be able to assist you with your homework if you ask her to. However she might be helpful if you ask her questions when you specify the sums in your homework. For such assignments, ChatGPT is the new forth-coming AI that has helped millions of scholars worldwide with their essays, assignments, or research papers. The limitation here is, that if you don’t frame the question very carefully, the AI might not be able to give you an answer. Another example is Sophia. Sophia is the most recent advancement in the robotics field. When she was first revealed, she caused quite a stir because of how humanlike she appeared and behaved. But, she was constrained by the fact that she was only able to carry out the tasks that she was assigned. This illustrates the range of research and development, but it also demonstrates that humans are still in charge. If something starts to look fishy or AI actually does take over, there is always the option to shut down.

This brings us back to our questions, is there a possibility of AI takeover? An answer to such a controversial topic, only time can tell. But my opinion states that it depends on how we humans program the AI to be. Artificial Intelligence is smart right now, as it is. But if we keep feeding it more and more knowledge, and try to replicate emotions and humane tactics, then there might come a time when “Megan” becomes a reality with not just one robot, but many. Computers, AI, robots; all were a fantasy which came true. Takeover is a fantasy right now, who knows what the future might bring for us?

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